Skip to main content

Planning Series - Week 8 - Homeschool and Housework . . . Can I do Both?

We are at week 8 of my summer  planning series. Today we have Misty from Joy in the Journey sharing with us about how she manages Homeschooling and Housekeeping.


I will be the first one to admit that homeschooling is a full time job. With planning for school, teaching our children, and grading large piles of schoolwork homeschooling can easily take up a full workday. After the homeschool day is done, we still have our “other” job to do-being a homemaker and mom.
For many homeschool families the housework takes a back burner. At the end of the day we are exhausted, which means dishes pile up, laundry stays in baskets, and our floors may be littered with crumbs. We often ask ourselves “How can I keep up?” 
I have found three things help me the most with keeping up with homeschooling and housework. The first is a cleaning schedule I am a planner, and I have a husband who prefers a neat and tidy house. When we first began homeschooling, our home was a disaster many days. I also ran a daycare so I had normal kid messes times 6 or 7. I was quickly getting in over my head and needed to find a way out. I had read a blog post that suggested moms break down chores into smaller pieces. This was a huge help to me and made a lot of sense. Hence, my cleaning schedule was born. 
A cleaning schedule does not have to be set in stone, it can be flexible. It more or less just lets you get yourself in a routine. I know Mondays are bathroom days, and on Wednesdays, I need to mop the floor. It helps knowing that if nothing else gets done that day but what is on the cleaning schedule, it is OK! This helps me feel like I am “keeping up” with a clean house.
The next thing that has helped me with homeschooling and housework is to get the kids involved. My children learn at a young age to pick up the laundry, help with chores, and to pick up after themselves. As a busy homeschool mom, you do not need to give yourself any more work than what is necessary. I have found numerous pins like this one that give a great guideline as to what chores your child is capable of at each age. Training our children to work around the house while they are young will be beneficial to them and us as they grow up. They will learn valuable skills that will last them a lifetime as well as develop a good work ethic. We will be able to have more time to tend to younger kids who need more help doing school work, will have more time to plan, and will be able to focus on chores that the children are unable to help with.
The last thing that has helped me with homeschooling and housework is to give myself grace. This is the number one tip I have for you! Sometimes your kids will get sick, you will have to let something slide. That is ok. Remember your priority at that moment is your child. Sometimes your child will be struggling with school, this will take more time, and your housework may have to slide. This is okay, give yourself grace. Sometimes life will get in the way and we will have to let our housekeeping standards slide and that too is okay. We must remember to give ourselves grace.
Homeschooling is a full time job, and one that is rewarding in many ways. Our homes are also important, and balancing homeschooling and a clean house can be done. We just need to find a schedule that works, teach our children to help, and give ourselves grace along the way. These tips will save us time and and our sanity .

Misty Bailey is a wife to Roger and a homeschool mom to three beautiful blessings. She resides with her family in Southern Ohio. She loves helping new homeschoolers and has a free Homeschool 101 eBook for those getting started. She shares her struggles with time management, becoming unglued and finding joy in the everyday moments on her blog Joy in the Journey. You can also find her on Facebook and Pinterest.

In this Series:
Week 1: Who Plans Homeschool?
Week 2: Planning an Eclectic Homeschool School Year Type A Style
Week 3: Planned Unshooling . . . Why?
Week 4: Meal Planning Made Easy
Week 5: Managing Your Home When You Have an Irregular Schedule 
Week 6: Block Scheduling in Your Homeschool
 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reformation Day Giveaway

We are approaching October 31, which is an important date for all protestants. This date commemorates Martin Luther’s nailing of his ninety-five theses to a church door on October 31, 1517 in Wittenburg, Germany, which in turn provoked a debate that resulted in what we now call the Protestant Reformation. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Martin Luther is a vital figure in Church History. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the following truths: salvation by grace alone , through faith alone,  and in Christ alone, along with the supremacy of Scripture, referred to as  Scripture alone, and all of it for God's Glory Alone. These being commonly called the Five Solas of the Reformation.  Danika Cooley, author and creator of the Bible curriculum Bible Road Trip ,  has recently written a book for young people recounting Luther's sto...
4 comments
Read more

Our Current Homeschool Routine - Virtual Homeschool Fair - Week 2

For week 2 of the Virtual Homeschool Fair, which is hosted by Homeschooling Hearts and Minds , we are talking method of homeschooling. When it comes to the how of homeschooling, and the method that we all follow, with the 20 plus blogger participating I can guarantee you, no method will be the same. Homeschooling is a lifestyle and a path unto a goal or toward a direction that each family sets for itself. For us, this encompasses academic rigor, as well as Christian values and depth of understanding of how to live in this world as Christians. To that end, earlier on we had settled on a classical education. 10 years into it, I cannot say we have been very good classical homeshooler. We did not follow the method and philosophy to a T but instead adapted it to our family's routine and rhythm. We became more relaxed classical homeschooler. I had good intentions with the Latin and Greek, but not enough discipline and it did not appeal to the boys; my oldest son did two years, the...
5 comments
Read more

When Lightning Struck - A Book review

Are you studying the Reformation? Do you love Historical Fictions? Do you love reading about the heros of the faith? Then read on... As a homeschooler I always encourage my fellow homeschoolers to include Historical fictions in their study of History as it helps students really enter the time period that they are studying and get a better picture of how people lived and what they felt. I recently had the privilege of reading a historical fiction titled When Lightning Struck: The Story of Martin Luther . If you have never heard of Martin Luther or read anything about him, you are missing out and here is your chance to learn who he was and what he did in an enjoyable way. When Lightning Struck is written for Middle and High schooler, but I could not put it down. If you love reading you will devourer this book. It would also work really well as a read-aloud for upper-elementary kids. It contains 23 chapters of average length that will keep you wanting to know more. When Lightni...
1 comment
Read more